Bughouse
by MikeJaffa
Summary: Jo and Kyo play bughouse (bughouse chess - look it up on Wikepedia if you don't know it) while Sei and Meg go bughouse (just plain nuts).
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Bughouse

AUTHOR MikeJaffa

SYNOPSIS: Kyo and Jo play Bughouse Chess, and Meg and Sei just go Bughouse

A/N: If you don't know what Bughouse is, look it up, then start reading this.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Burst Angel.

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"Jo?" Kyohei crept onto the roof of the trailer.

"Hey." Jo was lying on the deck to his right, propping her head up as she watched her TV.

Kyo crouched near her, but not too close. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Thanks."

Kyo got up, but she said, "Hey, Kyo? You might find this interesting."

Kyo winced. What could be interesting about one of Jo's super violent horror movies? "Ok." He sat down next to her and was surprised to see a man in military fatigues explaining some equipment and packages on a table. "What is this?" he asked.

"Little on-demand documentary I stumbled on," Jo explained. "It's about how militaries around the world feed their soldiers, and make sure they get nutritious meals, even in survival situations, and how they make those meals and preserve them. You cook for mercs, so I thought you would like to keep up."

"That does look interesting, Jo-" And he meant it. "-but-no offense-you guys are the last mercs I think I'm ever going to cook for."

"Maybe, Kyo, maybe not. Paris is an expensive town, I hear, and you may need extra cash again. You should play to your strengths. And even then, you obviously don't know who Sei blabs-"

A telephone ringing sound came from the TV, and a number appeared on the screen. Jo pressed a button and said, "Talk to me."

"Hey, Jo," a man's voice said. "Listen, something came up at the last minute and I can't make it tonight."

"Oh, crap! And this is the first time in months I could go."

"I know. But I should be free next week."

"Ok. 'Bye, Teuro."

"Later. Jo."

Jo pressed a button and cursed again.

"Jo…" Kyo stammered, "who was…Do you have a boyfriend behind Meg's back?"

"What? Oh, no, Kyo, it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"Keep a secret?"

"'Course. I don't want to be shot."

"I wouldn't, and it's not that big a deal. There's this merc hangout, the Firing Pin, and every Thursday night, this little chess club we have hangs out there. I went a bunch of times before we hired you, but I haven't gone since."

"Why's that a secret?"

"I don't want Meg to know. I love her, but she wants to spend every waking moment with me, and I need a little alone time. You have no idea what it took me to get her to go along with that. And she threw a fit when she first met Teuro. If I tell her what I'm doing and where, I won't get a moment's peace."

"But how does Teuro fit in?"

"He's my bughouse partner."

"You guys know Bughouse?"

"You know it?"

"Love and Happy had a chess club when I started, but the original advisor quit when his wife took early retirement, and the new advisor would leave if no one showed up after five minutes. I haven't played since before I met you guys."

"Want to come tonight, Kyo? We can leave when we've finished dinner, and the club runs until after closing time - the owner is on it - though we can leave when you're ready. Just don't tell Meg what we're doing."

"Well, ok, Jo, as long as it isn't a problem…"

"Kyo, don't worry about it. We're just going to play chess. What could possibly happen?"

/

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They had just started dinner - Kyo eating with the girls as always - when Jo announced that she and Kyo would be going out after dinner had been done.

Meg and Sei froze.

Meg said, "Um, Jo? You? Go out? With HIM?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"He's a guy, Jo."

"I noticed, that Meg."

"You're not into guys-"

"No, Meg, it's nothing like that. Kyo and I aren't going to do anything."

"What are you going to do?"

"It's Thursday night, Meg. You know I have alone time on Thursday."

"Yes-well-ok."

Sei cleared her throat. "Yes, I suppose. But Kyo, I thought we were going to be working on conversational French tonight?"

Amy grinned. "Oh, is that what you call it?"

Kyo said in French, "I've been practicing a lot, and I think I can skip a week. But thanks for helping, Mademoiselle Sei."

"My pleasure," Sei replied in French. "I want do everything I can to help you become a patissier." Back to Japanese: "But are you sure?"

"Sei, trust me. Jo may scare me, but I think it'll be all right."

"Well…all right, Kyo. You and Jo, have a good time."

Jo smiled. "We will."

Jo and Kyo bent over their plates, so only Amy noticed the angry glares that flashed on Meg and Sei's faces. 'Oh boy,' Amy thought.


	2. Chapter 2

The Firing Pin was down by the docks, in a warehouse district off the main drag. Kyo's scooter looked out of place surrounded by small SUVs.

The guy at the door said, "Jo, who's this?"

"Kyohei Tachibana," she said, "the most dangerous chef in Tokyo."

The owner was standing by the door. He was in his mid-twenties and blonde. "Chef, huh? He gonna start a grease fire?"

At the mention of a grease fire, some of Kyo's nervousness went away and he found his backbone. "Don't dismiss it," Kyo said. "Restaurants have been wiped out by grease fires. A kitchen is actually a very dangerous place. I was surprised when the first thing I had to do was take a first aide course.

"And besides that, think about how well you eat. You want to be in good shape for doing whatever you do? You have to eat a balanced diet. It's no accident they say an army marches on its stomach."

Jo smiled and jerked a thumb at Kyo. "What he said."

The owner nodded. "No offense intended." He pointed. "Chess boards are over on those tables. Only rule is you turn your phones off while you play."

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Amy sat in the middle of the couch, bent over her laptop, Meg at one end, Sei at the other, reading magazines.

Meg said without looking up, "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Yes," Sei said, focused on what she was reading, "everything will be fine."

"They just do something…whatever…and come back."

"Of course."

"And besides, Jo doesn't like boys. So it doesn't matter."

Sei looked at Meg. "How do you know?"

Meg looked at Sei. "What?"

"How do you know she doesn't like boys? She could be bisexual."

"She's not. Ok? She isn't. So whatever Kyo does won't work."

"What do you mean, whatever HE does?"

"I'm just sayin', Sei, Kyo's a growing boy with active glands surrounded by three women who spend all their time half naked. You can't tell me he doesn't think about it."

"He can think all he wants, Meg, but he won't do anything. Kyo is a perfect gentleman and will act appropriately, no matter what *she* does."

"What are you saying, Sei?"

"I think you know what I'm saying, Meg."

(Amy didn't turn her head, but her eyes flicked back and forth as the two women got more and more belligerent.)

Meg said, "Hey, don't project your problems on me."

"What problems?"

"You mean you - YOU - don't know you've been played?"

"Kyohei!? Never!"

"Oh, no? Those doe eyes, that dumb expression, the constant stammer, and the way he fawns all over you. 'What do you want, Sei? I'll make anything you ask me too.'" Meg nodded. "He's got you eating out of his hand and look what he gets for it? Cash, scooters…more cash…and that's SUPPOSEDLY without bedding you. And now that I think about it, we only have his word he wants to go to France. Has he contacted anyone over there yet?"

"He said he's going to."

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Keepin' the sugar momma happy, uh-huh, uh-huh. And you fall for it."

"Meg, if you weren't my friend, I would beat the crap out of you for that! My Kyohei would never do that."

"'My Kyohei'? The cat's out of the bag."

"In your dreams. But if you want to talk about a player, Meg, let's talk about 'your' allegedly not-bisexual Jo."

"Let's not, Sei."

"I keep asking myself, what do you bring to the table? Ok, you are a good shot, and you've saved Jo a couple of times. But half our man hours are gobbled up rescuing you after you get kidnapped. I swear, you could be alone on the Moon and still get kidnapped. So why does Jo keep you around, apart from the obvious.? Then it hit me-" Sei snapped her fingers "-you're the brains of the operation, right? You're the wheeler dealer, you get them the best deals, a roof over their heads with good pay. At least in your own mind. But what you don't realize is that's what Jo wants! She just lays there and lets you set up everything for her. A little gay sex and she lives the life of Riley. And poor little Meg never suspects she's being played! But the most delicious joke of all is she's got you thinking she's a dyke while in reality she's bi and trying to seduce Kyohei!"

Meg shot to her feet. "Jo's loyal! No matter what that - that - that little man-slut is trying to do, she won't cheat on me."

Sei got up. "How dare you call my Kyo a man-slut! You take that back."

"I call 'em like I see 'em."

"You must be blind, since you can't see how JO is playing YOU."

"I've killed for less!"

"Ooh, I'm soooooo scared."

"Don't push it, bitch. I'll mess you up."

"I'd love to see you try, Gaijin."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah-"

Amy snapped her laptop closed. "That's it. I'm going to my room. Keep it down to a dull roar while you kill each other."

Sei and Meg watched Amy enter her room, then glared at each other and chorused: "See what you did!?"

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"Jo, how are you doing?" Kyo was playing black against the owner; Jo was white on her board.

"Fine. What do you need."

"A knight and it's checkmate."

"What?" The owner looked at his board. "Oh, crap!"

Jo asked, "I can give you one in…two moves. How much time do you have?"

Kyo glanced at his clock. "Two minutes. No rush, but don't dawdle."

"All right." Jo made her move and hit her clock. After the next move, she handed Kyo a night. He slapped it down on the board.

The owner knocked over his king and fist-bumped Kyo. "Good game. The man has ice water in his veins." He and his partner stood up. "Next victims!"

Two more players sat opposite Jo and Kyo. Kyo's opponent was a dark-haired woman with large breasts. She undid a couple of buttons on her shirt and leaned forward. "Ok, kid, let's see what you've got."

Kyo smiled. "Did you hear how I told the owner how dangerous a kitchen is?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I work for Sei, who feels overdressed if she doesn't expose everything except her nipples and her crotch - honest, she told me once - and I haven't had a kitchen accident yet." He put his hand over his chess clock. "Ready?"

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There was a knock on Amy's door.

Amy didn't look from her computer. "Come in."

Meg came in and dropped to her knees next to Amy. "Hey, Amy. Could you do an internet search for me? Find out about any… issues super rich brats have. Things like delusions of grandeur, being out of touch with reality, blinding themselves to-"

Sei came in the door. "Ah, Amy, could you do an internet search for me? I want you to look up the mental health problems experienced by teenagers living homeless on the streets of major U. S. cities. Paranoid schizophrenia would be good place to start, along with any inability to separate reality from fantasy."

Meg stood up and glared at Sei. "Amy also see if super rich SNOTS have a tendency to project their deficiencies onto others."

"Why, Meg? You're not rich."

"I'm not blind to what's going on around me."

"Neither am I. I am most definitely on top of things."

"Especially Kyohei, eh?"

"I know Kyo well enough to know he can resist the temptations of a silver-haired bisexual freeloader."

"Oh, you mean he's met Maria? Because you can't mean Jo. Besides, even if Jo did like guys - which she doesn't - she would be a lousy sugar momma because she's neither gullible nor rich."

"What are you saying, Meg?"

"I think you know-"

Amy exclaimed, "ALL RIGHT! That's enough. Guys, Jo didn't want Meg to know where she was going because she was afraid Meg would follow her, but if you guys are going to be asses, I have no choice. Jo and Kyo are playing chess."

Meg and Sei chorused, "Chess?"

"Chess," Amy repeated. "This merc bar, the Firing Pin, hosts a chess club every Thursday night. She asked Kyo to go along because they play bughouse, a form of team chess. That's all."

Meg said, "Chess?"

"Yes, Meg," Amy said. "Chess."

"That's it?" Sei asked.

"That's it. Jo said she can lose track of time doing it, but that's all they're doing."

/

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Back in the living room, Meg and Sei laughed it off.

Meg said, "I am such an idiot."

"No, you're just being protective. I'm the fool."

"No, Sei, not at all. I've messed up. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Meg. I acted inappropriately. I apologize."

"No, Sei, no, don't apologize. Please, accept my apology."

"What is wrong with you?" Sei said as her smile faded. "I am trying to be nice here. Why don't you be gracious and accept my apology?"

"I am the most gracious person I know!" Meg shot back, grimacing. "You're the one who has to learn some manners, and you can start by accepting my apology."

"Just who do you think you're talking to, you little tramp."

"At least I'm not being banged by an under age gigolo."

"No, you're being 'serviced' by a freeloading bisexual slut!"

"ALL RIGHT! LET'S GO-!"

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Amy breathed a sigh of relief when Meg and Sei left her room, but that faded as she heard the rising voices through the walls. Then the first WHAM.

She pinched her nose. "How did I become the most mature one here?"

/

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When Kyo and Jo finally lost, Kyo reactivated his phone and was surprised to see it was 11:30. "Jeez!"

Jo smiled. "Told you."

"I'm going to check my messages."

Jo didn't pay much attention as Kyo dialed his voice mail, but she noticed the alarmed expression on his face. He lowered the phone slowly.

"What?" Jo asked.

"Uh…Jo, can you remain calm?"

Jo took some deep breaths. "Ok. What is it?"

"That was Amy. Meg and Sei are in the hospital."

"WHAT!?" Jo's tattoo blazed to life. "What happened?"

"Apparently, Meg and Sei tried to kill each other."

Patches of the tattoo appeared and disappeared as Jo frowned. "'Scuse me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Meg brightened as Kyo and Jo entered her hospital room. "Hi, Jo! Amy told me where you were. Did you have fun playing chess?"

Jo didn't hide her alarm at Meg's black eye, as well as the cuts and bruises visible through her hospital gown. "Meg…wh…what….hap-"

Sei's voice said, "Ah, there you are. I thought I heard familiar voices."

Jo and Kyo turned to see Sei standing behind them. Although the buxom woman looked as sexy as ever in her own hospital gown, her own cuts and bruises plus the IV stand she was pulling along with her distracted from the effect.

Kyo jumped. "Sei! Are you all right?"

"I am now." Sei hugged Kyo with her free hand. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah…but…Sei - Amy said you and Meg got into a fight?"

Sei frowned and looked at Meg. "Fight, Meg?" She smiled. "We didn't fight, did we?"

Meg smiled. "No, Sei, no fight at all. No, guys, we just had a simple misunderstanding."

"Yes," Sei affirmed, "that's right, a simple misunderstanding between close friends, but obviously, we've cleared that up. Isn't that right, Meg?"

"Yes, Sei. Oh, Kyo, you and Sei may have some…" Meg cleared her throat. "…personal issues to discuss. Sei was…worried about you."

"No more so than one would expect," Sei said, ignoring the arm draped around her chef. "But Jo, as long as you're in the hospital, I think you and Meg should consult…specialists. You know, being homeless in New York City may have left Meg with mental health issues. You know, *maybe* not in touch with reality."

Meg bristled. "As opposed to a snotty rich bitch who thinks she can buy some nookie from the 'chef' who's playing her?"

Sei let go of Kyo and lunged at Meg. "ALL RIGHT! THAT'S IT-!"

/

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As cops and orderlies raced down the hall towards Meg's room, and all the shouts and crashes emanating from it, Kyo and Jo strolled in the opposite direction, apparently oblivious to the chaos behind and around them.

Jo said, "Uh, Kyo, would you mind giving me a lift back to the trailer?"

"No problem, Jo."

"Thanks."

They got to the elevators. Jo hit the call button. "Did you have a good time, Kyo?"

"Yes, Jo, I did. Can we do it again sometime?"

"Absolutely."

The elevator arrived, and more orderlies surged out. Jo and Kyo wandered into the car.

Jo hit the button for the lobby. "Kyo. I get it."

"Thanks, Jo."

THE END


End file.
